Automatic game device



April 1941- e. E. R. PERKS 2.237,?4-6

AUTOMATIC GAME DEVICE Filed Nov. 7, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet l Apriy 1941- G.E. R. PERKS 2,2317% AUTOMATIC GAME DEVICE Filed Nov. '7, 1959 4Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VE M T5211 April 8, 1941. E, R PERKS 2,237,745

AUTOMATIC GAME DEVICE Y Filed Nov. '7, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheetfi FM 5 by 3 W1 INVENTOR 60 W Gertrude Lste Rap Perks, a] Li? I ATTORN v.

Aprifi 5 1941- G. E. R. PERKS 2,23%?46 AUTOMATIC GAME DEVICE Filed Nov.'7, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 25 E) 27 YW/// i I 5* ma I llVl/EIUTURGertrude 1: Rm FEW/ Ls ATTORNEK Patented Apr. 8, 1941 UNITED STATESApplication November '7, 1939, Serial No. 303,223 In Great Britain March16, 1939 '5 Claims.

This invention relates to game devices of the well known pin table typein which a limited number of balls or the like are caused by the playerto travel over a table or base provided with traps or their equivalentdistributed over the surface of the table, the entrance of a ball in atrap automatically registering a correspond ing score or illuminating asignal.

The invention has for its object to provide a game device of thischaracter in which the score made by the entrance of each or all orcertain of the balls into a corresponding trap may be subsequentlycancelled, if desired, by the player and a fresh travel of the ball overthe table effected with a view to improving the total score by theentrance of the ball into a different trap, thus adding to the interestof the game.

A device in accordance with the present invention comprises a pin table,having a plurality of electro-magnetically controlled traps, each trapbeing provided with means operated by the presence of a ball therein toclose two circuits one of which exhibits and/or illuminates acorresponding indicator whilst the other connects theelectin-magnetically controlled trap device with a circuit controlled bya corresponding discard or rejecting key which when subsequentlyactuated by the player, releases the trap to permit the ball to beplayed again, movement of the trap to release a ball serving to cancelthe corresponding indication.

In the accompanying drawings;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pin table constructed and arranged inaccordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the table.

Fig. 3 shows the electrical wiring circuit of the pin table.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the electromagnetically controlledtraps.

Fig. 5 is an end view of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the electro-magnetically controlledtraps.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of part of the rejection or discard keyboard. i

Fig. 8 is an inverted plan view of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a section through the discard or rejection keyboard.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of an alternative means for regulating thedelivery of the playing balls.

Fig. 11 is a plan View of the arrangement shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is aside elevation ofthe, automatic projection device.

. operated slide-mechanism l for rendering the balls available for play,the usual mechanism 8 for raising a ball into a channel 9 disposed atone side of the table I ready for projection by a spring-controlledpropelling lever Ill.

As shown in Figs. 4, 5and 6 there is provided beneath each trap 3 aplate ll pivoted at [2 the downturned portion E3 of the plate ll beingconnected by a spring it to the pivot of the armature 55 which providesan abutment for the plate II in one position of the armature l5 when theplate II is depressed by the entry of a ball in the trap 3. Movement ofthe armature I5 is controlled by an electro-magnet ii. Thephosphor-bronze strip spring Ilia returns armature I5 to position andprevents it touching and sticking to core [6 of the magnet. The presenceof a ball in the trap 3 depresses the plate H to rest on armature l5 andallows the blades l8, l9 and 20 of the jack 2i to close, thus closingthe cirouit to illuminate thecorresponding lamp 6 and bringing thesolenoid I'l into circuit ready for operation on depression of arejection key in a manner hereinafter more fully explained.

In the event that any ball rolls to the bottom of the table 2 withoutentering a trap 3 an automatic projecting device (shown in Fig. 12) isprovided. The projecting device comprises a solenoid or electro-magnet22 and a core made of two interengaging elements 23, 24 made for exampleof iron and brass respectively, the core being held in the positionshown in Fig. 12 by a spring 25. The end of the core 24 is provided witha member 26 adapted to project a ball back up the table when it comes torest (as it must if it does not enter a trap) on a switch blade 21located in front of the projecting device, depression of the blade 21 bythe ball causing a circuit to be closed to energise the solenoid 22 anddraw the core into the solenoid 22 against the action of the spring 25.

To cancel the indication 4 of any one or more of the balls which haveentered a trap 3 a key board 28 is provided at the lower end of thetable I, a separate key 29 being provided for each trap 3 andcorresponding indicator 4. The depression of one or more of the keys 29serves to depress a corresponding switch blade or blades 30 out ofcontact with a contact strip 3| on to a common bar 32 thus serving toclose an electrical circuit which energises the corresponding solenoids[1. When one or more of the solenoids is or are energised the armatures15 are retracted allowing the plates II to fall under the weight of theball and release the ball for replay, the plates returning under thepull of the spring l4 and opening the jack blades l8, I9, 20. On releaseof a key 23 the corresponding switch blade 30 breaks contact with bar32. The jack 2| is reset by the movement of the plate ll ready for thereplay of one or more of the released balls.

For permitting selection and rejection of trapped balls only when allthe desired number of balls have been played, the board is provided atits upper end with a trafiic strip or counting contact 33, which isprovided on a portion 33a of the table raised with respect to the loweror playing field 2 upon which the traps 3 are situated, the trafficstrip 33 being included in circuit with a rotary switch 34, the contactarm 35 of which moves one step each time a ball passes the trafficstrip, and with the discard or rejecting keys 29.

It will thus be apparent that a ball projected by the player will bedelivered on to the upper semicircular end 33a of the field, the ballrolling over the traific strip 33 thereby operating a magnet or the like36 which moves the rotary contact arm one step for each ball thatpasses. The ball then enters play by dropping over the barrier providedat the upper end of the table. The switch 34 controls the main supplycircuit to the keys and to the electro-magnets ll operating the traps 3,so that only in a predetermined position of contact arm 35 of the switch34 corresponding to the number of balls played, i. e. when the rotaryarm 35 of the switch 34 engages a contact 31 in the circuit established,and only then will the keys 29 operate the traps 3. When all the ballshave been played the switch 34 closes a circuit 38 to light a lamp 39disposed behind a panel mounted on the container 5 illuminatingdirections to the player advising him that he may operate the rejectionor discard keys.

The table may be of the coin-released kind in which event the insertionof an appropriate coin is arranged, through the usual mechanism, torender available say five balls which are then projected by the playerupwards along a suitable channel so as to arrive at the upper end of theupwardly inclined table over the surface of which the balls rolldownwards.

In accordance with common practice, a timeswitch 40 is also set by thecoin slide to ensure that current shall not be left on unduly long ifthe table is idle. It can also be used to put a definite limit upon theplaying time.

A feature of the electrical circuit is the coordination of the coinslide mechanism 1 with the rotary switch 34 and with the trap-releasemagnets II. On inserting a coin and pushing the slide fully in, therotary switch 34 is mechanically released and its contact arm returnedto zero position. The coin slide 1 pushes the trip arm 35a of the rotaryswitch 34 and the switch so released returns to zero under the infiuenceof a spring. When fully home the coin slide 1 has closed the contactsclosing the magnet circuit and thus releasing the balls. At the sametime any balls held in traps 3 are electrically released and fallthrough the playing board 2 and roll to the lift mechanism ready forplay. It is impossible to predict which traps it may be necessary torelease for this purpose, and, if this problem were solved by operatingall the magnets 11 controlling the traps 3 simultaneously, the currenttaken by all the magnets in parallel would be too heavy for practicalpurposes. It is therefore arranged that all keys, if not pressed down,shall contact with a bar 3| which forms part of the coin slidetrap-release circuit, and, further as described earlier, the traprelease circuit is not completed except where a ball rests in a trap. Inthis manner only such current is used as is necessary to operate inparallel those traps in which balls are resting.

The device may, for example, be so arranged as to enable a gameresembling poker to be played, each player being provided with fiveballs each ball as it passes over the trafiic strip 33 moves the contactarm 35 of the rotary switch 34 one step and, upon entering a trap 3,causing a corresponding playing card 4 to be indicated as contained inthe players hand.

In the event of a ball failing to enter a trap 3 the ball is projectedupwards over the table again by the projection device 26.

After all the calls have been played in succession and have actuated thetraffic strip, the contact arm 35 engages contact 31 thus completingcircuit 38 which illuminates the lamp 39 disposed behind a panel givingdirections for the operation of the discard or rejection keys 29.

The engagement of the rotary arm 35 with the contact 3'! also closes thecircuit to permit rejection of a ball or balls to take place ondepression of the appropriate key or keys 29. The player will examinethe five indicators or cards 4 operated by the traps 3 and considertheir value. He may then by operating the appropriate discard keys 29release one or more of the trapped balls and replay these in the mannerabove described. When a ball which has been rejected is replayed itpasses over the trafi'ic strip 33 thus operating the magnet 36 which inturn moves the contact arm 35 a further step thus breaking the circuit38 and 32 and preventing further rejection of balls. The release of thetrap or traps 3 by operating the discard key or keys 29 causes thecorresponding indications or cards 4 to be cancelled and the replay ofthe discarded balls causes the other indications or cards 4 to beexhibited, thus completing the hand. The finally completed handindicated constitutes the players score and when compared with anotheror other players score determines the winner of the game.

This indication of the hand may be arranged to be automaticallycancelled and the balls released from the traps after a predeterminedinterval of time has elapsed so as to re-set the device for the nextplayer, or this resetting may be arranged to be effected when anothercoin is inserted by this player.

In lieu of providing a traffic strip and to avoid the necessity for theraised portion 330, of the table I the alternative arrangementillustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 may be employed. In this construction aball in passing down a chute 4| into which the balls roll after releaseby the coin slide electrical release and which delivers them to a liftmechanism depresses a spring contact strip 42 similar in effect to thetraffic strip 33 of Fig. 3 which closes a circuit to operate thesolenoid or magnet 36 operating the rotary switch 34 (Fig. 3). A hingedcatch 43 is associated with and operated by a lift mechanism 44indicated at 8 in Fig. 1 the catch 43 holding the next succeeding balluntil that ball operating the traflic strip has passed to the usual liftmechanism 44 for elevation of the ball to the channel 9. The liftmechanism 44 is connected by a lever or rod, not shown, to the top ofthe catch 43 so that when the lift mechanism is operated to lift a ballthe catch 43 is moved therewith to allow a ball to pass under by gravitydown the chute 4i ready to fall by the lift mechanism when that isreturned to normal position of rest. To prevent the contact 42 frombeing actuated again in the event of a ball dropping back from the tableinto the channel 45 and hitting the ball which has already operated thecontact strip 42 the lift mechanism 44 may be provided with a face 46.

The catch 43 also serves to hold up balls discarded by the player untilthe lift mechanism 44 has been operated once. Otherwise the first balldiscarded would operate contact 42 and thus operate switch 34 and sobreak circuit preventing further discards when in fact the player mighthave intended to discard more than one ball.

I claim:

1. A game device of the character described including in combinationwith a playing field, means for successively projecting a plurality ofballs into the playing field and a plurality of traps disposed in theplaying field, said traps including means for completing an indicatingcircuit when a ball enters the trap, a key controlling each trap and anelectro-magnetic device for controlling the release of a ball from eachtrap, said electro-magnetic devices being energised by operation of thesaid keys.

2. A game device of the character described including in combination aplaying field, means for projecting a plurality of balls into theplaying field, a plurality of traps disposed in the playing field, saidtraps including means for completing an indicating circuit when a ballenters the trap, a key controlling each trap and means operable by thekey controlling the release of the ball from the trap for interruptingits indicating circuit when a predetermined number of the balls havebeen played.

I terrupt the said indicating circuit.

4. A game device of the character described comprising in combination aplaying field, means for successively projecting a plurality of ballsinto the playing field, a plurality of traps to receive the balls eachprovided with means for closing an indicating circuit, anelectro-magnetically controlled device for each trap for retaining ballsin said traps, a plurality of keys one for each of saidelectro-magnetically controlled devices for energising the saidelectromagnets and releasing the balls retained in said traps andinterrupting indicating circuits therefor, and means operable by theballs as they pass into play to permit release of certain of the ballsretained in the traps only after a predetermined number of balls havebeen played.

5. A game device of the kind described comprising in combination with aplaying field, means for successively projecting a plurality of ballsover the playing field, and a plurality of traps to receive the balls,an indicating circuit for each ball, means operable by the entrance of aball into a trap to close such indicating circuit, a second circuit foreach ball for controlling the discharge of each ball from a trap, meansoperable by the balls as they pass into play for preparing the secondcircuits for completion, said means including a rotary switch set by thepassage into play of a predetermined number of balls, means operable bythe player at will for finally completing any prepared circuit, saidlast mentioned means including an electromagnetically controlledretaining device for each trap for holding a ball in the trap and meansfor energizing the electro-magnetically controlled retaining device ofany trap whereby the ball is released from the trap for replay and theindicating circuit interrupted.

GER'I'RUDE E. R. PERKS.

